Defendant gets 19 years for indecent behavior

A Monroe man was sentenced Thursday in 4th Judicial District Court for indecent behavior with a juvenile.

Shondale Godfrey, 20, was charged for crimes he committed with an 11-year-old girl between September and December 2012.

According to Assistant Sistrict Attorney Fred McGaha, Godfrey was 18 at the time of the crime and was living with the victim.

Godfrey had been “taken in” by the victim’s family and allowed to live at the home. The sexual contact between the two happened while the victim’s parents were at work.

Godfrey pleaded guilty on May 5 and the court ordered a presentencing investigation.

He will serve 19 years at hard labor without benefit of parole. The maximum sentence for indecent behavior with a juvenile is 25 years.

“It’s a real shame that two people’s lives have been so adversely affected by a decision like this,” McGaha said. “At that age, she can’t consent, so the responsibility is on the older person to put the brakes on the situation.”

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